For two decades, the Patriots ruled the AFC East. From 2001-2019, New England won a staggering 17 division titles in 19 seasons, finishing second in both years they fell short.
That hasn’t been the case in recent years, however, ever since Tom Brady’s departure. The Patriots haven’t finished first in their division since he left, allowing the Bills to rip off three straight AFC East titles.
That’s not expected to change in 2023, either, as New England has the longest odds to win the division on DraftKings Sportsbook at +800. Between the Bills’ dominance, the rise of the Dolphins and Aaron Rodgers joining the Jets, the AFC East is going to be a battle this year.
But are the oddsmakers too low on the Pats? Here are three reasons why they could still win the division in 2023.
3 Reasons Why the Patriots Could Win the AFC East
1. Bill Belichick is Hungry
The Patriots no longer have Brady, but they still have Belichick. He’s only the greatest NFL coach of all time, and that still counts for something, right?
Perhaps more importantly, New England has a motivated Belichick. For the first time in a long time, Belichick’s job security is up in the air due to the team’s recent mediocre performance. He’s one of several Patriots members on the hot seat right now, but we expect him to respond.
Belichick has never had back-to-back losing seasons as New England’s head coach, which speaks to his supernatural ability to make adjustments and course-correct. He’s certainly not happy with how 2022 played out and you can bet he’ll do everything he can to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
And while Belichick isn’t one to prioritize individual accomplishments, it doesn’t hurt that he’s closing in on the NFL’s all-time record for wins by a head coach, as he trails Don Shula by 19.
2. Bill O’Brien Will Fix the Offense
The biggest difference between the 2023 Patriots and 2022 Patriots is that this year’s team has a real offensive coordinator. Last year’s squad didn’t, and boy did it show.
Thankfully, Matt Patricia and Joe Judge are no longer in charge with running the offense. Bill O’Brien is, which is undoubtedly a step in the right direction.
Not only did O’Brien oversee some potent offenses during his time as head coach of the Houston Texans, but he also served as New England’s OC back in 2011. The Patriots made the Super Bowl that year, so he clearly did a pretty good job.
O’Brien’s top priority needs to be getting Mac Jones back on track. And it’s hard to see O’Brien taking this job if he didn’t think this offense had a long-term answer at quarterback. Having spent the last two seasons at Alabama, you better believe O’Brien would’ve made sure to get the inside scoop on Jones before signing up to coach him.
Jones was a Pro Bowler as a rookie in 2021 but looked lost and broken last year (as did many of his teammates). If O’Brien can restore Jones’ confidence and get him to take a big step forward this year, that will go a long way toward fixing the offensive issues that plagued New England last season and make the team a legitimate contender in the AFC East again.
3. The Rest of the Division is Overrated
The Patriots aren’t a perfect team by any means, but are we sure we aren’t overrating the rest of the AFC East?
The Bills have a ton of talent, yes, but they’ve also benefited from an easy division the last few years. Now that every team in the AFC East is a contender, will they still be able to dominate? Based on their recent postseason failures, they may not be up to the task.
The Dolphins have an explosive offense…when Tua is healthy. Can he stay healthy, though? He wasn’t able to last year, and he’s always one big hit away from missing considerable time. Miami faded at the end of last season and its defense isn’t anything special, either.
As for the Jets, is Aaron Rodgers really the answer? He’s 39 and coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. A washed-up Rodgers is still better than most of the quarterbacks New York has been trotting out recently, but not good enough to win a stacked division.
If things go wrong for their competitors and right for them, the Patriots could sneak up on the division and steal it.
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